


Please Remove Shoes

by tygermine



Series: Merthur Drabbles [29]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Drabble, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-29 03:09:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19821313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tygermine/pseuds/tygermine
Summary: Everyone has a bedtime ritual





	Please Remove Shoes

Merlin’s mum had a set schedule of how she would spend the hour before she went to bed.

After dinner, she’d head up to the bathroom and run a bath. She always added bath salts that had a heady, herbal scent that filled the whole upstairs passage. With a book and a glass of wine, she would spend a good half hour soaking.  
Afterwards, she would turn on the old electric bar heater in her room along with the radio, tuned into BBC Radio 3 usually playing Brahms or Chopin. 

While humming along to the music, she would apply a layer of rich body cream. Usually, it was just cheap Aqueous Cream with a few drops of essential oil in it. However, if it was after her birthday, or around Christmas, she’d use the posh body butter that Merlin would spoil her with. Always some bizarre scent like Orange Sherbert or Galaxy Delight.

She’d then pat in a night cream, comb her hair, brush her teeth and finally crawl into bed.

Merlin, on the other hand, was not one for bedtime rituals.

Working two jobs meant that if he remembered to brush his teeth and remove his shoes before falling asleep on top of his covers, then it was a good night. 

He usually left his shoes on.

When he first starting sleeping with Arthur, the only bedtime ritual was an orgasm followed by blissful sleep. Limbs lay tangled and morning breath was not mentioned.

It was a rare night off that Merlin first witnessed Arthur completing his own bedtime ritual that didn’t involve love bites and orgasms. Merlin found himself muttering along in a David Attenborough accent.

“The nightly ritual of the species know as poshtus boyfriendus starts with a glass of top-shelf whiskey. The poshtus boyfriendus winces with each sip, indicating to us that he doesn’t actually like it. Once the whiskey is finished, the poshtus boyfriendus proceeds to the kitchen where he...mixes himself a glass of alkaline powder and water? Intriguing.”

Arthur gulped down his alkaline water mix and after rinsing out his glass, walked over to the sofa and gave Merlin a peck on the lips.

“Coming to bed?”

“Right behind you,” Merlin smiled.

He waited for Arthur to enter the en suite before slinking into the bedroom.

“The poshtus boyfriendus,” he continued under his breath as he slipped out of his clothes and into some pyjama pants, “likes to keep his ablutions private, yet has no problem sticking his tongue in all sorts of places. This observer can confirm that the poshtus boyfriendus seems to pee first, then washes his hands and...there it is...uses an electric toothbrush for his dental care. This observer knows, from previous explorations that the poshtus boyfriendus happens to prefer the cinnamon flavoured toothpaste, which in this observer’s opinion, is solid grounds for electroshock therapy.”

The bathroom door opened and Arthur stepped through, unbuttoning his shirt. Almost shyly, he nods towards the doorway.

“Loos, uh, all yours. I don’t know if you packed a toothbrush, so I laid a spare out on the counter.”

Merlin smiled widely and took Arthur’s obvious hint to brush his teeth.

When he came out, Arthur was already in bed, on his side, legs curled up. Merlin climbed in next to him and turned until they were face to face.

Arthur slid an arm around Merlin’s waist, pulling them flush against each other.

“The poshtus boyfriendus’ favourite bedtime ritual,” whispered Arthur, “is to kiss the species incorrigible Merlinus very soundly until he falls asleep.”

“Incorrigible Merlinus likes that ritual very much.”


End file.
